Sterilizer



Jan. 28, 19300 A. ZINNA STERILIZER Filed July 13, 1928 Patented Jan. 28, 1930 ANTOHINO ZINNA, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI PATENT OFFICE Application filed July 13,

This invention relates to sterilizers and with regard to certain marked specific features to dispensing sterilizers for barbers, doctors or vendors instruments, absorbent roll neck straps, pads, roll bandages and the like.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a sterilizer which carries an evaporating sterilizing fluid to for providing an ambient atmosphere of ster= ilizing vapors, there being in said ambient atmosphere a magazine type of delivery mechanism for providing successive rolls of absorbent neck straps, bandages, pads or the like; the provision of means of the class described having an improved construction for efi'ecting delivery and reloading and the provision of a device of the class described which is simple in operation and compact in construction. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction and arrangements of parts which will be exem lified in the structure hereinafter describe and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

1n the accompanying drawings, in which is 3o'illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention. 7 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the sterilizer,

certain portions being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 showing delivery position of the 'device; and, I I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 2 showing a reloading position of the device.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding arts throughout the several views of the rawings.

Referring now. more particularly to Fig. 1,

there is illustrated at numeral 1a case havin a left-hand compartment-3 and a right-ban 1928. Serial to. 292,438.

evaporate vapors which are adapted to pass up through the reticulations 9 to form an ambient atmosphere about the instruments in compartment 3.

In order to deliver the sterilizing vapors into the right-hand compartment 5, the wall 13 dividing the compartments 3 and 5 is provided with upwardly located reticulations or openings 15, so that circulation of the vapors is efiected as shown by the directional vectors in Fig. 1. The circulation is caused by means to be made clear hereinafter.

Removably fitted into the right-hand compartment 5 is a circular housing 17, standing on legs 19, said housing 17 having a stationary shaft 21 therein-upon which is rotatably mounted a magazine 23 having a plurality of peripheral recesses 25. Fastened to and rotatable with the magazine 23 is a ratchet wheel 27 adapted to be engaged by pawl 29 pivotally located on a lever 31, the latter also being rotatable on the stationary shaft and extending forwardly through an opening 33 of a hinged door 35. A spring 37 reacting between a flange 39 aflixed to said shaft 21 and the lever 31 tends normally to return the lever to an upward position against the top of a slot 41 formed in the casing 17 and through which slot 41 the lever 31 passes.

The number of teeth on ratchet 27 and the number of compartments 25 in the magazine 23 are the same or they are multiples so that upon depressing the lever 31 to or near the bottom of the slot 41, the magazine is advanced by an angle corresponding to the width of one chamber 25. The parts are so arranged that for each advance, one compartment is made to re ister with an opemng 43 for delive or loading purposes of the contents of t e said respective compartment. The door 35 is 'cut away at 45 to permit the passage of the contents of said recesses or compartments or chambers 25.

hen the door is open (and there 1s enough clearance of the slot 33 to permit opening), the housing 17 may be readily removed as a unit, inasmuch as it merely stands in the compartment 5 and is not bolted in. However, the housing need not be removed for reloading purposes, because there is provided, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, a chute 47 which is hinged at the lower end of the cutaway opening 45, which chute in its Fig. 2 open position catches articles as they are delivered from the chambers 25 and functions as an article drop, and which in its Fig. 3

folded position is adapted to function as a reloading guide for refilling purposes.

It will be noted that the opening 45 permits the outward passage of some of the sterilizing vapor which is forced over into the chamber 5 from the chamber 3 because of its own vapor pressure. Hence proper circulation of the ambient sterilizing vapor is permitted so that it surrounds both the instruments in the compartment 3 and the articles in the magazine 23. It should be noted that the housing 17 is made up of stamped sheet metal parts which are not put together in gas-tight fashion, so that leakage at the joints permits the desirable entry of sterilizing vapor into the housing 17. g

A depressing key 49 is used at the end of the lever 31 for purposes of manual operation by the finger of an operator. A sight hole 51 is provided in the door 35 for permitting ex amination of the successive recesses 25 as they approach their delivery positions for purposes of ascertaining their loaded or unloaded conditions, as the case may be.

The preferred application of this device is in barber shops where the formaldehyde or similar sterilization method is efiective. In such an application the articles adapted to be placed in the recesses 25 comprise previously rolled absorbent neck bands. These are placed in the palm of the hand which is put into the Fig. 3 position, so that the units of rolled material are guided by the folded back chute 47 into the successive recesses 25, the key 49 being depressed intermittently for advancing successive recesses. When the first article loaded appears at the opening 51, the ppelrator is warned that the device is about To effect delivery of the devices from the magazine 23, the chute 47 is folded down and the same operation is effected on the key 49 as was the case during the loading operation. One depression effects delivery of one band. When the last article adapted to be delivered appears at the opening 51, the operator is warned that the device is about empty.

It will be seen from the above that the operation of loading and delivering is greatly simplified by making the same opening function for loading devices into the magazine and for delivering them therefrom. The same kind of manipulation is used at the key 49 for loading purposes as is used for unloading purposes.

Where the device is used in barber shops or by vendors of articles which should be kept sanitary, a light 51 is used at the top of the case 1 for display and advertising puroses. P In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from. the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying'drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In dispensing apparatus, a case including a compartment, a rotatable magazine in said compartment having peripheral recesses for supporting articles to be dispensed, a housing surrounding said magazine and supporting'the same, the housing and contained magazine being adapted to be removed as a unit from said compartment, a single outlet in the housing for delivering and receiving articles from said recesses, the housing holding the articles in the recesses when. they are not positioned at said outlet, an outlet in the case registering with said outlet in the housing adapted to pass successive articles to and from 'the magazine, an invertible chute hinged at one edge of said outlet and having a shape such that in one position it functions as an article drop and in another position as a reloading guide for refilling purposes, repositioning being effected by the hinge thereon.

2. In dispensing, sterilizing apparatus, a case including a compartment, adapted to be supplied with a sterilizing vapor, a rotatable ma azine in said compartment having peripheral recesses for supporting articles to be dispensed, a housing surrounding said magazine and supporting the'same, the housing and contained magazine being adapted to be removed as a unit from said compartment, a single outlet in the housing for delivering and receiving articles from said recesses, the housing holding the articles in the recesses when they are not positioned at said outlet, an outlet in the case registering with said outlet in the housing adapted to pass successive articles to and from the magazine, an invertible chute hinged at one edge of said outlet and having a shape-such that in one position it functions as an article dro and in another position as a reloading gui e for refilling purposes, repositioning bein efiected by the hinge thereon, said housing eing so constructed that permeation of the sterilizing m vapor is permitted to take place therein.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 11th day of.

July, 1928. ANTONINO ZINNA. 

